5 tricks for foodies: how to take the best food photos on Instagram
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Don't feel guilty when you look at your Instagram profile and only see food. Feel guilty when this food doesn't look as tasty as it really was, or even more so. Fooders or food lovers are a large community on the Instagram photography social network, and they make the rest of us mortals drool over a simple photo How do you do it? do? Very simple, applying some photography tips to make the food look even more appetizing.
We echo Mike Tsang, a professional photographer specializing in portraits and who has a most appetizing Instagram account. He plays with the focal length, with the food being poured out of its containers, and also with the movement. Elements that have led him to have 12 thousand followers and a profile that removes any gut. This is what he recommends behind his Canon EOS 2000D:
Play with elements and space
In photography you have to teach the eye to see beyond what you want to photograph. Tsang's advice is to take advantage of glasses, side dishes or even cutlery to fill in the blanks All in pursuit of a complete and attractive composition. These elements have to be visible and fill the space. If for this you apply imaginary lines that guide the vision towards the element you want to portray or take advantage of the theory of points of force and the grid of thirds, the task is easier.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk93bJvAWhZ/?hl=en&taken-by=freshmikeeats
Be creative
Mike Tsang raises the question of“how did he do it?”in his photos. Something that leads you to stare at the photograph for a couple of minutes noticing all its details. For this he proposes that you have fun and try new techniques. Do not just take a photograph, be creative and imagine curious situations that serve to create that wow effect that makes you admire the photo. In this case, Tsang has used a very wide aperture (1/4) and an ISO sensitivity of 200 to capture the moment when the drops and pieces of ice fall from an iced tea. Curious, isn't it?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlVyn63gSx-/?taken-by=freshmikeeats
Portraits movement
Linking into the idea of being creative, photographer Mike Tsang also proposes capturing movement or action in a photo.Something that moves away from the classic concept of photos of fooders with plates on a table. A drop of melted cheese falling from a hamburger or a piece of pizza, sauce being poured over food, drink falling into a glass... All this without neglecting composition and creativity.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjbtsIjAEHd/?hl=en&taken-by=freshmikeeats
To better capture movement, clearly, you need to set a fast shutter speed and natural light. Use the professional photography settings on your mobile or an SLR camera to get the best results.
Shoot from the side
If you want to get to see all the food on your plate you should take an overhead photo, from above. But this is not always artistic. Mike Tsang has two techniques that help you achieve eye-catching photos that show the plate with the food well.
On one side are the shots elevated above the plate, at about 45 degrees. In this way it is possible to capture an action and a large part of the set without leaving hidden parts in the photograph.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNX82iAV39/?hl=en&taken-by=freshmikeeats
The other technique is to ignore the angle and raise the food in your hand, placing your phone or camera at the same height. That is, a side or profile photo focusing on the dish in question.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BkryhQxAotT/?hl=en&taken-by=freshmikeeats
Take advantage of the bokeh effect or portrait mode for more eye-catching photos. Get closer to the food to make the background blur. If you're using a still camera, widen the aperture to achieve this effect.
Diner Show
A simple trick to make food even more appetizing is to show who is eating it A side photo of the diner taking a bite, moving away from the plate to cut the cheese that remains half melted, or after having taken a good bite. In addition to introducing action in the photo, it is possible to see the food in a tastier situation than just presented on the plate.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgTA9-HhPZp/?taken-by=freshmikeeats
